New York, NY – While many people across the country have received the first wave of federal stimulus checks meant to provide immediate relief related to COVID-19, the undocumented community continues to be left out in the cold. Not only are undocumented families excluded from the stimulus package, but now New York governor Andrew Cuomo is blocking efforts to provide even limited financial aid to the immigrant community.

One of the largest myths about undocumented workers in the United States is that they do not pay taxes. This falsehood is used to justify the fact that undocumented families have little or no access to public assistance; the argument goes “they don’t pay taxes, so they shouldn’t benefit from tax-funded services like SNAP and Medicare.” The reality, however, is that undocumented immigrants almost always pay their taxes, even though they do not receive the same benefits that non-citizens do. Undocumented people pay sales taxes and payroll tax deductions automatically, and often go out of their way to pay income taxes using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) instead of Social Security numbers.

In recognition of this reality, states like California have been moving towards providing state-level financial relief to the undocumented community. In California, this means that 150,000 undocumented immigrants will now receive a $500 stimulus check to help recover from COVID-19. The total cost of providing that relief will be $75 million, which is miniscule compared to the $2.5 billion that undocumented workers paid in California state and local taxes last year.

Unlike California, however, New York has yet to commit any state-level funds to assisting the undocumented community’s COVID-19 recovery. In a state with more than 650,000 estimated undocumented immigrants, this decision not to provide any stimulus funding is not only discriminatory but is also irresponsible from a public health standpoint. While ICE continues to carry out raids on our immigrant communities, Governor Cuomo is doing his part to make sure that working-class immigrant New Yorkers have no choice but to continue working during the quarantine, since there is no safety net to fall back on if they get their hours cut or are laid off.

This desperate situation effects not only undocumented workers themselves, but also their loved ones, their dependents, their neighbors and ultimately the community at large. When families are forced to go against public health recommendations in order to survive economically, the very fabric of the community is at risk.

Considering the fact that the five New York ZIP codes with the highest rates of COVID-19 infection are all characterized by large, vibrant immigrant communities, what we have are communities under siege. These undocumented families are already under pressure from ICE raids, police harassment and other forms of national oppression, and they now have to contend with some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection, some of the worst access to healthcare, and – based on Cuomo’s recent remarks – they will continue to be excluded from state and federal-level stimulus funding.

This situation is unacceptable, and the only way to change it is to build powerful movements and organizations with real roots in these communities, which can mobilize and fight for real material improvements in living conditions and access to resources. Cuomo’s comments are yet another reminder that we cannot rely on elected officials to create the necessary change – in fact, they’re often the ones standing in the way.

#NewYorkNY #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #OppressedNationalities #US #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #undocumentedImmigrants #Antiracism #DonaldTrump #COVID19 #COVID19Stimulus

Last November, a large number of immigrant rights organizations and community groups called for a moratorium on impounds. These groups included the National Lawyers Guild, ACLU of southern California, Asian Americans Advancing Justice LA, the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council, Community Service Organization (CSO), Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC), Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Presente.org, Service, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) and others.

Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central American communities in California have fought for drivers licenses for the undocumented for more than ten years (see the 2004 Fight Back! article for early news on this struggle). This movement has mobilized the masses of working people in these communities through protests, rallies and meetings. At the same time a broad united front including Chicano politicians, religious groups, lawyers and nonprofit organizations has been built to further the pressure on politicians in the state capitol at Sacramento.

Like many other struggles for equality, the victory in the campaign to allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for drivers licenses was a partial one, with an almost 15-month delay in implementation. In the same way, the growing struggle for tuition equity to allow undocumented college students to pay in-state fees at state colleges and universities is only a first step, which needs to be followed by the fight for state financial aid.

Ultimately, what is needed is a broad legalization of the undocumented, not the more restrictive plans loaded down with more militarization of the border and workplace repression being promoted by the Democrats in the Senate, or even worse, the Republicans in the House of Representatives. But with legislative action stalled, and even if some reform passes this year, millions of undocumented will be left behind; making local and state struggles against deportations, against the ‘Secure Communities’ and for driver’s licenses and tuition equity important.

It would be a mistake for activists to downplay or ignore these struggles for partial reforms that can better the lives of the undocumented. Through their own involvement in the struggle, people can come to see how the system of capitalism — where the economy is based on profit, which in the U.S. is based on a history of economic exploitation, political disenfranchisement and social discrimination that non-whites face — is at the root of the injustices that they face. This history is part and parcel of the historic national oppression that the Chicano Nation in the U.S. Southwest, including most of California.

It would also be a mistake to only focus on the united front and on the struggle in the legislature to pass these bills. Part of the purpose of the so-called democracy in this country, which is really only democracy for the rich, is to draw in activists fighting for change, imbed them in the system and cut them off from the working masses that are the true engine of change.

The editors of Fight Back! News want to congratulate the Chicano, Mexican and Central American communities who have been the backbone of the fight for drivers licenses for the undocumented. We also pledge our support for continuing the struggle for a moratorium on car impounds, for the movement for legalization of the undocumented and ultimately for self-determination of the Chicano Nation, up to and including secession, and for full equality for the Chicano, Mexicano and Central American peoples in the U.S.!

#LosAngelesCA #ChicanoLatino #SouthernCaliforniaImmigrationCoalition #undocumentedImmigrants #carImpounds

Tampa, FL – The Student Government Senate at the University of South Florida (USF) passed a resolution supporting in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students from Florida, Nov. 12. Out-of-state tuition is three times more than in-state tuition. Currently, undocumented immigrant students who graduate from Florida high schools have to pay the higher, out-of-state tuition.

Tampa Bay SDS came out in full force to support the resolution along with a host of representatives from other organizations also sympathetic to the cause. The Student Government Senate was largely supportive of the measure, but there were student senators who sought to prevent the vote from happening.

Cindy Ibarra, a Chicana student at USF said, “In-state tuition for students at the University of South Florida needs to pass. Student government is concerning itself with the details when this is simply a resolution of general support. The details can be done by us, the students.”

The in-state tuition proposition is part of a larger struggle by undocumented students to gain access to the educational facilities that they help fund through paying taxes. Florida students are leading the way in building a national movement for equality on campus.

The USF Board of Trustees will be meeting Dec. 5 and discussing this student motion. Tampa Bay SDS plans to pack the meeting, showing public support for this reform.

#TampaFL #StudentMovement #undocumentedImmigrants #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #TampaSDS

Tampa, FL – 25 people gathered outside of Florida Senator Marco Rubio's office on Sept. 7 to demand legalization for all and equality for undocumented immigrants. The protest included Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Occupy Tampa, the Farm-worker Association of Florida and Raíces en Tampa. Held at Rubio's Tampa office located on the University of South Florida's campus, activists marched and united in chants like, “Rubio! Escucha! Estamos en la lucha!”

An immigrant rights caravan using the slogan “Remember November” began their journey on Aug. 4, traveling through the 27 congressional districts in Florida. The Remember November caravan is pushing for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) to apply to all immigrants.

Blanca Moreno, one of the people in the caravan, is a Mexican immigrant. During the protest Moreno said, “Without farmworkers, no one eats. Without undocumented immigrants having a card that gives us equality, we are not a country that protects its people. We must not allow the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act (SAFE Act) to take over.” Moreno then led the crowd in a chant of, “No SAFE Act in Florida. Si se puede!”

The SAFE Act would make it possible for any U.S. stat to write its own immigration bill and to intensify any harassment or targeting against its undocumented population. The SAFE Act would ensure that even if the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill passes, any state like Florida could call for an increase in deportations, incarceration of immigrants or further expanding militarization.

Xicano activist Dave Gonzalez with Occupy Tampa said, “A few days ago there were complaints about a foul odor coming from a rural part of Tampa. Upon further investigation it was found that the odor was from pesticides sprayed in agricultural farms. People seemed more concerned about the smell than the well-being of the farmworkers who worked the fields, and no real news reported on that matter. If we left undocumented immigrants out, we cannot advocate for equality as a whole.”

Marisol Márquez with Raíces en Tampa said, “We gathered to let politicians like Senator Marco Rubio know we are not counting on them to bring the necessary change. We cannot sit around and let them decide the fate of 11 million undocumented immigrants. Legalization for all is what we need and we will continue to work towards it, not only in Tampa but in the entire U.S.”

#TampaFL #immigrantRights #undocumentedImmigrants #comprehensiveImmigrationReform #legalizationForAll #SenatorRubio #SAFEAct

Immigration lawyer and National Lawyers Guild member Rachel Lang explained the details of the new policy that President Obama announced on June 15. The deferred action policy is not a new law and does not lead to permanent residency or citizenship for immigrant youth. Nor is it the DREAM Act. It’s simply a new temporary policy and this president or the next president could change or cancel it at any moment. But despite the limitations of the policy, it’s the first substantive motion toward legalization and away from repression against immigrants since the amnesty that Congress and President Reagan approved in 1986. President Obama announced this new policy under pressure from undocumented immigrant youth protesting and occupying his campaign offices in several cities across the country demanding that he take action.

Rachel Lang explained that to qualify for this new policy, a person needs to have come to the U.S. when they were under 16 years old, they have to have lived here for five years, they have to be in high school, have a high school degree or be pursuing a GED or have a GED. They also have to not have been convicted of several types of crimes and must not be considered a threat to “national security.” There are many different particular situations and many details of the new policy that are still unknown because the specific rules and the application forms won’t come out until mid-August.

Emilia, a representative NAVIGATE, also spoke at the event. NAVIGATE is a group organized by immigrant youth to help other immigrant youth overcome barriers to staying in school and to help them apply to and get into college. She said that this new policy comes after many years of collective struggle by immigrant youth and this shows that collectivity and organization are the keys to winning victories in the struggle. She also emphasized that this is only the first step and that the community needs to get more organized to continue the struggle for permanent legalization for youth who qualify for the two-year deferred action, and also to fight for legalization for their parents and the rest of the community who doesn’t qualify for deferred action.

Israel Esquivel of the Mexican consulate also spoke at the workshop about the services that the consulate has for people from the Mexican community applying for deferred action.

William Martinez, a MIRAc member who helped organize the forum, said, “We’re happy that a lot of people came to learn about this new policy. We’re going to keep working with the community to inform everyone. The struggle continues to stop deportations, not just of students but also of their parents and families. We hope everyone will participate to continue educating and mobilizing our community and our allies. That’s how we’ll win.”

#RichfieldMN #MIRAc #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #DREAMAct #undocumentedImmigrants #deferredAction

Saint Paul, MN – On Dec. 29, immigrant rights activists and supporters spoke out at a press conference against a new anti-immigrant law slated to cut immigrants off of Emergency Medical Assistance on Jan. 1, 2012. They called on Governor Dayton to take immediate executive action to stop it.

According to the change in law, on Jan. 1 undocumented immigrants in Minnesota will no longer qualify for many medical treatments under Minnesota’s Emergency Medical Assistance program. This means that immigrants in Minnesota who receive chemotherapy, dialysis, diabetes management, alcohol and drug treatment, pre-natal care and many other things will be in danger of not receiving their treatments. For people receiving essential treatments like chemotherapy for cancer or dialysis for kidney disease, this can mean life or death.

This new anti-immigrant policy was passed at the end of the legislative session on July 20, 2011 in the wee hours of the morning. Most people didn’t notice this anti-immigrant change in the law until after it had passed because the final budget deal was negotiated in secret between the Republican legislative leadership and the governor. The public and most legislators didn’t even have the chance to read through the final bills before having to vote on them during the special legislative session that ended the state government shutdown.

At the press conference, State Representatives Karen Clark and Carlos Mariani, along with State Senator Jeff Hayden, announced they they'll seek to reverse this anti-immigrant and inhumane policy when the new legislative session starts on Jan. 24. Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman said over 200 people in critical situations would be cut off in Hennepin County alone, and that the county has been scrambling to even let the affected people know that they are facing a cutoff of potentially life-or-death services. The Reverend John Gutterman of the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration spoke to the moral issue of denying fellow human beings basic medical care.

Linden Gawboy, speaking for the Welfare Rights Committee and the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout, groups that fought to stop all the cuts to human services during the legislative session, said, “We want this law stopped. If this law goes into effect, they will not just kill people. They will torture them before killing them. Imagine the process of dialysis being stopped, how long before the pain sets in. How long before you get so sick that you’re just waiting to slip into that coma.”

Isaac Martin of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) said, “This shows that anti-immigrant politics remain inhumane. Minnesota’s politicians chose to balance the state budget on the backs of immigrants who have serious illnesses. They are taking away care from the elderly, people with cancer and with kidney disease, while they refused to raise taxes on the rich.”

Brad Sigal of MIRAc said, “Having the 'wrong' immigration status shouldn't be a death sentence. We call on Governor Dayton to take immediate action to assure that nobody in Minnesota dies from this inhumane law. We’re asking everyone to call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 to demand that he take action to stop this before Jan. 1.”

#SaintPaulMN #MIRAc #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #GovernorMarkDayton #undocumentedImmigrants #EmergencyMedicalAssistance